The distinguished British historian Michael Burleigh has named Master of Shadows a Book of the Year in the Telegraph. He writes: "Mark Lamster’s Master of Shadows (Doubleday) is a fascinating study of the diplomatic missions of Peter Paul Rubens, a dual role for artists we are mercifully spared in the case of our treasures Damien Hirst or Tracey Emin." Whatever your thoughts about Hirst and Emin, that's a nice encomium. The book is also recommended on the Holiday Shopping Guide at the Fodor's Travel Blog.
